Court jails American 40 years for killing Nigerian Gokada founder

Court jails American 40 years for killing Nigerian Gokada founder

A United States court has handed a 40-year-to-life prison sentence to Tyrese Haspil, a 25-year-old former employee, for the murder of Fahim Saleh, a tech entrepreneur and founder of the Nigerian-based company Gokada.

The tragic event took place in New York City, where Saleh, aged 33, was brutally killed.

Haspil, who previously served as Saleh’s executive assistant, was found guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree grand larceny, and related charges. The sentencing follows his conviction by a New York State Supreme Court jury two months ago.

According to reports, Haspil had embezzled a significant amount of money from Saleh. To avoid detection, he plotted and carried out the murder in 2020.

In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. described Saleh as a kind and generous individual who had a positive influence on many lives. Bragg noted that despite Haspil’s betrayal, Saleh had given him a second chance, making the crime even more heartbreaking.

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Surveillance footage from the day of the murder revealed that Haspil followed Saleh into his Lower Manhattan apartment building, where he attacked him with a taser before fatally stabbing him. The following day, Haspil returned to dismember and decapitate the body, using pre-ordered construction bags to dispose of the remains. Saleh’s cousin discovered the grisly scene when she checked on him after not hearing from him for a day.

Authorities arrested Haspil a few days later at a rented Airbnb, where he had been staying to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday. He had fled the crime scene after noticing police activity.

Investigations revealed that Haspil had been siphoning money from Saleh’s accounts, setting up fake PayPal and corporate bank accounts to funnel approximately $400,000 over time. Even though he initially repaid some of the stolen money, the embezzlement continued, leading to the tragic events.

Prosecutors disclosed that Haspil had previously attempted to kill Saleh on several occasions before the fatal attack in July 2020.

Gokada, a company that started as a ride-hailing service in Nigeria in 2017, later expanded into logistics and food delivery. In the wake of Saleh’s death, the company released a statement praising his commitment to Nigerian youth and his belief in the power of technology to drive societal change.

Court jails American 40 years for killing Nigerian Gokada founder